Simple Tomato, Cucumber and Vidalia Onion Salad

A Summer Favorite

Creole tomatoes. Fresh, crisp cucumbers. And the sweet and mild perfection of Vidalia onions.

There’s nothing like it.

Creole Tomatoes

Creoles are simply homegrown tomatoes from this region of south Louisiana. But their taste is so distinct, almost tangy. They are simply my favorite tomatoes. Unfortunately, they are not available all year round.

Vidalia Onions

And the onions… Wow. Again, Vidalia onions are my favorites. I’m sure Georgia has many great things there. But the two that I am most familiar with are peaches and Vidalia onions.

I remember as a child watching my maternal grandfather (Paw-Paw Charlie) routinely eat an onion like it was an apple. He would pare it with a knife as he held it in his hand, then pop that “slice” in his mouth. As a kid I just couldn’t understand it. I hated onions. Now I understand. He was eating Vidalia onions. Sweet and delicious.

This salad is as simple as simple gets. And the flavor packs a punch. It exudes “summer.”

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 Creole tomatoes (or other variety that you prefer)
• 2 cucumbers, peeled
• 1 Vidalia onion (or other sweet yellow onion)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or more, to taste)
• Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: 

This is an easy one. Just chop the tomato and cucumber. Cut the Vidalia in half from top to bottom, then slice thinly each half. Add it all to a large salad bowl. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt & pepper to taste. Just don’t kill it with too much vinegar!

Variations

Try red onion if you don’t have access to Vidalia onions. Some of the small red onions can be very mild.

Also, any homegrown tomato will do.

What do you think?

Have you tried this salad? Do you like it? Tell us all about it in the comments below!